A&A 15" Magnetic Wooden Chess Set/Folding Board / 3" King Height German Knight Staunton Chess Pieces/Walnut & Maple Inlaid /2 Extra Queen

OVERVIEW AND "BOTTOM LINE" I have been playing chess since the 1960's and have had some lovely chess sets, including an African Animal soapstone set and another with a cedarwood box with a crushed velvet lined interior with an inlaid marble board & sandalwood and ebony pieces that was my pride and joy for years until stolen. This set, Promptly delivered with no damage or dents etc, is solidly made of wood with brass and steel fittings and parts with the tried and tested Staunton Pieces. It can be relied on to be the sort of set you want when what is important is to play the game, to concentrate the mind, together with ease of discrimination between pieces & a large enough board to separate the pieces when played and give an excellent overview by the two players. With the front and back ranks/rows' height difference well calculated to allow rapid assessment and strategic thinking, this set at a medium to low price point, is in my opinion, really, really good value for money... and would be the perfect set for a budding novice or experienced chess player, (or family set that may be passed on it is so nice...). I shall certainly treasure mine and, in owning it, can allow the memory of my stolen set to dissipate and no longer be a sad one. Bottom Line: All in all, a well put together Chess Set that no one would be ashamed to use in any company be they your brother or a visiting Grandmaster..... who may of course be one and the same?! You can buy this item with confidence. REVIEW DETAILS Build: Box: I love woods, and this set has a subtle mix of timber colours that support the gameplay like a good frame brings out the best in a well executed picture; The brass closures of the box are robust and close with a satisfying tight "Click!"; The board folds out to a good size (15"x15") with the central split / folding point entirely disappearing during play; the feet are strong, metal, and are a great design feature that neatly interlock when the box is closed & securely press together the two halves of the board with the assistance of gravity when playing. Pieces: The turned pieces are of a good size, and feel and weight are agreeable to the hand. The kings being about 3", the pawns 2", plus the features of all piefces are well-defined. The bases are flared out elegantly and with the embedded magnets, are suitably married to the board to mitigate unnecessary movement... a very good thing! The pieces include two extra queens, (1xW, 1xBlack), which makes pawn promotion very user-friendly... Notes: My only reservation, a petty one, is the moulded plastic covered in a textured baize to hold the pieces: This detail, however, does not prevent it from performing good service in protecting and holding the pieces in place when not in use or travelling with the player as the weight of the whole allows of excellent portability..... and for a set at this price point expecting a velvet and wood interior would be churlish or at the least greedy? my point is that I prefer to use natural materials than plastic on general principle... I feel also that it is my task to make a solid sleeve with an absorbant lining for shocks and to prevent scratching etc when travelling with this set as it is easily carried in a bag of some kind and not an onerously heavy item.... Support Material: The set comes with a set of self-adhesive reference alphanumeric stickers, (thus leaving the choice of grid reference addition to the board up to the purchaser...a very good attitude !), which may be adhered to the box top with the help of any straight edge to line them up so as not to detract from the board or draw the eye away from concentration on the game. The stickers are a perfect match for the set and great for learners and clubs to teach with...or analyse. A very nice touch, showing the love for the game, are the stickers included in a variety of styles and sizes to suit many an aesthetic & are not there to merely advertise the company that made this set as the company name / logo is on one sheet of stickers and there are two more sheets without any mention of them! ...and are good quality clip art... (I say this as an ex Graphic designer), and I shall personally use one of the more subtle ones to adorn the lid of my laptop... Finally the set, naturally!, comes with a small but effective "How To..." booklet that explains clearly and with plenty of diagrams, the basic workings of the game of chess. There is also a credit card type card with the company's contact details should you have any after-sales needs or assistance regarding your set or The Game of chess....

Incredible value for money. The magnetic pieces are slightly on the lighter side, but non-magnetic weighted pieces are also available if that’s your preference. The wooden pieces are beautifully crafted and feel genuinely premium, far superior to any other board I’ve seen at this price point. As an added bonus, the set includes coordinate stickers, which would cost £8.99 if purchased separately from A&A’s website. It also comes with a comprehensive starter guide covering how each piece moves and a wide range of popular openings, making it ideal for beginners and returning players alike. When unfolded, the board sits perfectly flush with no noticeable join down the centre. I genuinely couldn’t ask for anything better. This chess set feels worth far more than £29.99, and while I wouldn’t be surprised if the price increased, the quality is so good that I wouldn’t begrudge it at all.

After countless searches on ebay, tried Amazon and more or less found this set straight away. It was double the price of my precious searches, but looked like a quality set. It also specified the dimensions of each pice, which was important as I was looking for large pieces. The set arrived 2 days early than stated and the artractive outer box had a rigid cardboard inner and the wooden box/board was further protected by a soft plastic bag. The quality of the wooden box and pieces justified the price. The pieces feel very comfortable and the magnets even hold them if the board is inverted. Separate homes for each piece is great for checking none have escaped from a particularly bad game. Also included is an instruction booklet that also describes some of the common mates. Stickers are also provided for the younger player, but I would keep the set for an adult player and get a cheap and cheerful set for the very young future fischer. Looking forward to taking the set to the next chess evening at my local cafe and being the envy of all. Unfortunately my skills at the moment don't match the quality of the set.

Very nice , very high quality, it was worth buying it

The chess set is of high quality. The folding wooden board and pieces are of good size to play comfortably but also easy to transport. One of the pieces had a slight fault but the seller rectified this via assistance from Amazon.

A well proportioned Staunton style set of pieces. The magnetic set is recommended as it gives the pieces some weight . The quality of the folding board is very good and the pieces are also nicely done . The 15 inch board with the 3 inch king works very well for portability and playability . One of the better folding magnetic sets and for the price it is very good value . I’ve bought a second set to give as a prize for my Chess Club’s Rapid competition.

Lovely chess set, good quality, nicely presented, ideal gift

Absolutely beautiful in every way. The quality of the finish is absolutely perfect, very very smooth and beautifully finished. The carvings are very nicely made and all match and the surface finish is very very nice! The felt/flocked storage for the prices is also beautiful and really finishes the set off. All in all, I was staggered with the quality for the money...I would have gladly paid double the price for this set and my son who's gift it was is over the moon with it. If you are looking for a folding, magnetic chess set - buy this one!!

Just received this set yesterday and i just had to write a review on it. Pros : Amazing quality and beautiful wood grain. Cute chess pieces, very finely made, excellent magnetic feel. Cons : I would have loved if it came in some carrier bag. The chess pieces were a little light, but then again, it wouldnt hold if it were overly weighted. All in all, a GREAT Chess set.

Bella scacchiera. Solida…pezzi ben fatti.

Absolutely gorgeous. soft felt bottomes l, magnet easy to play and pack away

Outstanding quality 👏 love this chess board sooo much

A perfect first set for home use and portable enough to bring it to the park with friends. Your second set should be the 3.75 inch tournament set but is too big and expensive to be taken out of safety of your home. The quality is top notch, pieces are smooth and well proportioned. The pieces weighs like a hardwood would and the magnets helps to hold it in place. Without the magnets, i think it would still be stable due to the base being wide enough for its height. The board is well finished like fine furniture and its shade is lighter which provides contrast with the pieces. I like that its waxed like finish is not too shiny to be distracting and its easier to the eyes. I highly recommend this set.